ESCAP Promotes South-South Cooperation in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS crisis is today recognized by the United Nations as a global emergency, and the largest development challenge of our times. Alarmed by the accelerating epidemic and its global impact, the General Assembly adopted resolution 55/13 on "Review of the problems of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in all its aspects" in November last year. It was here decided, as a matter of urgency, that a special session of the General Assembly be convened (25-27 June 2001, New York) to review and address the problem of HIV/AIDS in all its aspects.

The resolution calls upon the regional commissions to be actively involved in the preparatory activities and to participate at the highest level in the special session (New York, 25-27 June 2001). ESCAP rapidly followed suit, and called for a special agenda item on HIV/AIDS during the 57th session of the annual Commission. The agenda item was organized by the Human Resources Development Section of the Social Development Division, in close collaboration with UNAIDS.

The Commission Session provided a forum for South-South dialogue on the HIV/AIDS crisis. Two former Heads of state/government representing two continents, Africa and Asia, addressed the session. H.E. Mr Kenneth Kaunda, former President of Zambia, comes from a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world (20%). H. E. Mr Anand Panyarachun, former Prime Minister of Thailand, was responsible for launching Thailand's nation-wide prevention campaign in 1991, thus ensuring that Thailand was the first country in Asia to take comprehensive action to address the epidemic. The two former leaders exchanged lessons on the HIV/AIDS situation in their respective countries, shared strategies for future implementation, and mounted a joint call for governments at the highest level to commit themselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Other eminent speakers who attended the session on HIV/AIDS included the Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, a senior representative from the private sector, as well as a young health educator living with HIV/AIDS. A joint ESCAP/UNAIDS/UNDCP exhibition, in collaboration with the Duang Prateep Foundation, on "Uniting for Human Security in Asia and the Pacific" was also held.

The Commission adopted a resolution on "Regional call for action to fight the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Asia and the Pacific", which called upon governments, ESCAP and other concerned partners to secure commitment to fight the epidemic in the region.